Editing has developed in past 50 years. In early cinema films started with no cuts. It would just be one fixed shot. This meant everyone would have to be in correct spot otherwise they would have to re-film the whole thing. Thomas Edison films were just long static locked down shots. In a film there needs to be motion to amuse the audience. The first film that showed moving on a city street was from a film called a 'Sortie d'usine this was a film by the Lumiere brothers.
Sortie d'usine
Edwin S. Porter is an american film maker who was first to put editing to use. At first Edwin starting making films with no plots and editing, the film would just simply go on as long as there was film in the camera. There was no story or any editing when it came to films in the 1800's. Edwin went on to making a break through film called "Life of an American fireman". This film was made in 1903, this was one of the first films which had a plot, action and a close up. The life of a American fireman has continuity editing. Edwin went on to making other great films.'Great train robbery' was a ground breaking film. This was the first important film about a robbery. This film contains parallel editing and makes this film different from the rest. The shots that porter used were shot in different locations this meant that it could be: hours,days or months before there were shots in other locations and then it would be combined into a narrative whole.
Life of an American Fireman
The great train robbery
In 1898 George Albert Smith produced a film called 'The Miller and the Sweep', this film only lasted for 30 seconds. Edison studios wanted to create longer films. In the 1899 G.A went on to create a film where a couple kiss for a short while. This was the start of narrative editing.
D.W. Griffith was a film director who made use of cross cutting to show parallel action in different locations. Griffith made a film called The Birth of A Nation which was made in 1915.In this film we see a lot cross cutting between the KKK riding on horse and white females being raped, this is to show parallel action in between two different locations. Once this film was being broadcast it was to rise riots and the KKK. Griffith was influenced by Lev Kuleshov. 'A Corner in the Wheat' is where we see Griffith use parallel editing.
Parallel Editing is when there are two or more things going on stimiitanously e.g. In the'The Godfather' by Francis Ford Coppola, there is a gang being shot one by one whilst there is a baby being baptised.
Charles Pathe created a short film in 1907 called 'The horse that bolted' which contained a good amount of parallel editing, This allowed the viewer to see both points of view. Even in everyday Television programs parallel editing is used to show what is going on. We see parallel editing in Eastenders, Coronation Street and Emmerdale.
